PFKFB3 promotes proliferation, migration and angiogenesis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a squamous epithelial cancer, arising from the nasopharynx epithelium. It has high morbidity and mortality. PFKFB3 as a glycolytic activator has been implicated in the progression of multiple types of tumor. PFKFB3 can be contributed to the progression and metastasis of cancer. However, whether PFKFB3 is associated with the progression of NPC remains unknown. We postulated that PFKFB3 promotes proliferation, migration and angiogenesis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In this study, we found that PFKFB3 was significantly up-regulated in NPC tissues and cell lines compared with normal control. Our study proved that PFKFB3 can regulate the proliferation, metastasis and apoptosis of NPC. By the way, the NPC-derived exosomes come from and CNE2-derived exosomes are enriched in PFKFB3. The enrichment of PFKFB3 played a crucial functional role in promotes HUVECs proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. And tumor angiogenesis is closely related to the proliferation and metastasis of tumor. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that PFKFB3 could act not only as a clinical biomarker for angiogenesis but also as a therapeutic target to overcome angiogenesis, enhancing the clinical benefits of angiogenesis therapy in NPC patients.